3.

Briefing by the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) and CPS Energy on the status of
implementing the recommendations from the Committee on Emergency Preparedness'
Report [Ben Gorzell Jr., Chief Financial Officer; Troy Elliott, Deputy Chief Financial
Officer]
A) SAWS Staff will provide a status report on the utility’s actions implementing the
recommendations from the Committee on Emergency Preparedness’ Report. (15 minutes)
B) CPS Energy Staff will provide a status report on the utility’s actions implementing the
recommendations from the Committee on Emergency Preparedness’ Report. (15 minutes)
 City of San Antonio

Agenda Memorandum

Agenda Item Number: 3

Agenda Date: November 30, 2021

In Control: Municipal Utilities Committee Meeting

DEPARTMENT: Finance Department

DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott, Deputy Chief Financial Officer

COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide

SUBJECT:

SAWS and CPS Energy status reports on recommendations from the Committee on Emergency
Preparedness

SUMMARY:

Status reports on the utilities’ actions implementing the recommendations from the Committee on
Emergency Preparedness’ Report.
A. SAWS
B. CPS Energy

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

From February 13, 2021 to February 19, 2021, the continental United States experienced a
severe winter storm referred to as Winter Storm Uri, which significantly impacted the City of
San Antonio. On February 22nd, the Mayor created the Committee on Emergency Preparedness
and tasked the Committee with studying the event to determine what happened and to provide
recommendations on what needs to be done to better prepare for future winter weather
emergency events. The Committee’s Report was presented to City Council on June 24, 2021.
ISSUE:

A. SAWS Staff will provide a status report on implementing the recommendations from the
Committee on Emergency Preparedness’ Report – 15 minutes

B. CPS Energy Staff will a provide status report on implementing the recommendations from
the Committee on Emergency Preparedness’ Report – 15 minutes.
RECOMMENDATION:

This item is for briefing purposes only

 SAWS Progress
Community Emergency Preparedness
Committee Report
Steven Clouse
Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer

Municipal Utilities Committee

November 30, 2021
November 30, 2021 Page 2

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 1 Status: Complete

Implement recommendations in the Black and Veatch report.

• Recommendations from the Black and Veatch report are being implemented and the
process to complete all recommendations will take several years. SAWS has
developed tracking mechanisms for each item and is tracking progress of each
recommendation. A monthly report is presented to the Board of Trustees.
• SAWS will continue tracking until all recommendations have been implemented or
ongoing and recurring processes have been implemented (such as training).
Cost: See individual recommendation
Completion Date: 2021 with future updates
November 30, 2021 Page 3

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 2 Status: Complete

In conjunction with CPS Energy, identify and place infrastructure required to
maintain water and sewer operations to critical facilities on uninterruptible
circuits in order to avoid service interruptions.
• Potable water and wastewater facilities have been identified and recommended for critical
load designation. 40 of the 70 SAWS identified critical water facilities are now on Exempt or
Under Frequency Load Shed (UFLS) circuits. SAWS has requested that an additional 15 of
the 70 critical water facilities be moved from Firm Load Shed (FLS) to UFLS circuits. SAWS
requested that all 4 wastewater treatment plants and the 21 critical wastewater lift stations
be on Exempt or UFLS circuits, and CPS Energy is verifying the current circuit designations
for those facilities and determining the feasibility of the proposed changes.
• Revaluate critical facilities list and circuity designation on an annual basis.

Cost: Less than $100,000

Completion Date: 2021 with future updates
November 30, 2021 Page 4

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 3 Status: Complete

Coordinate with CPS to determine which SAWS locations must have power
generators and/or fuel storage for load reduction events and consider shared uses
for generators.
• Multiple meetings have been held with CPS Energy on the generator locations and sizes, and
to explore the feasibility of distributed generation as a community .
• A Request for Information was issued by SAWS to further explore the generator
marketplace (RFI F-21-001-JAM due by 11/15/21: Backup Generation Solutions for
Emergency Operation of Water Systems During Extended Power Outages).
• This critical facility designation were established by Black & Veatch in April 2021. SAWS and
CPS will continue to validate this information, refine the generator locations, and determine
shared use opportunities

Cost: Less than $100,000

Completion Date: 2021 with future updates
November 30, 2021 Page 5

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 4 Status: In Progress

Improve the resilience of current infrastructure with additional weatherization and emergency
response equipment as follows:
4.A Heat strips, hot air blowing tools, additional insulation on large diameter piping – any other
similar technology to help with weatherization efforts.
• SAWS has developed plans to use the small communications generators at pumping stations to provide power to the heat
tracing systems during power outages.
• SAWS has improved the heat trace on tank level detecting instrumentation. SAWS has also added insulation on piping
susceptible to significant freezing temperatures.
• SAWS has purchased tripod heaters that can be used to heat defined areas. SAWS also has expanded the use of butane
heaters and salamanders at critical stations.
4.B Draining ports for above ground piping. Draining ports would allow SAWS to remove water from
its pipes prior to them freezing.
• Production pumping sites have been evaluated and drain ports are completing installation. Additional ports may be added to
the list over time.
4.C Software and communication tools to provide real time messages to the City and the public.
• SAWS has expanded technology and mobile friendly options: Mass Email, Robo-Calls, Texting, SAWS website.
Cost: Between $100,000 and $1,000,000
Completion Date: 2021
November 30, 2021 Page 6

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 5 Status: Complete

Perform routine disaster scenarios with CPS Energy and with the City EOC, such as natural
disaster and terrorist attack response simulations. In addition to tabletop exercises, conduct
in-person field exercises.The exercises should include City Council members and their staff
when appropriate.
• COSA/SAWS/CPSE, Alamo Area Community Flood Resilience exercise, May 11-12
• COSA/SAWS/CPSE, Extreme Heat exercise, May 27
• SAWS/CPSE, Power Disruption exercise, July 28
• COSA/SAWS/CPSE, Executive Widespread Power Outage and Cybersecurity Threats exercise, Sept 28
• SAWS/SAFD Hazmat field exercise on Oct 4
• CPSE Grid IV exercise held at COSA EOC, Nov 16 & 17 (SAWS & COSA participated)
• Additional exercises will continue throughout 2022 and beyond.
Cost: Less than $100,000
Completion Date: 2021with future updates
November 30, 2021 Page 7

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 6 Status: In Progress

Plan and acquire all necessary equipment for emergency water filling locations (bulk water
distribution) around the city that can be set up rapidly in times of emergency and establish
messaging to rapidly inform the community of their locations when needed.
6.A Develop procedures with the City of San Antonio and increase joint readiness for bottled
water distribution. SAWS and the City should invest in a stockpile of 10-year shelf-life water
that can be distributed in emergency situations and rotated out every 8 years to ensure it
remains potable.
• SAWS has increased the inventory of bulk water distribution equipment
• SAWS is exploring partnerships with local business on bottled water production as well as purchasing
and storing 10-year shelf-life water. After procurement process of water has been established, a water
distribution plan will be developed with COSA. Communications will be included in the water
distribution planning process.
Cost: More than $1,000,000
Completion Date: 2022
November 30, 2021 Page 8

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 7 Status: Complete

Consider enclosing select above-ground facilities and infrastructure to

protect them from freezing events.
• Alternatives such as backup power supplies, tents or additional insulation is in place to
protect existing equipment and infrastructure.
• Future facilities will incorporate buildings and other freeze-prevention mechanisms
into station design.
Cost: Less than $100,000
Completion Date: 2021
November 30, 2021 Page 9

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 8 Status: In Progress

Develop systems and protocols to have one coordinated messaging channel

between EOC, SAWS, and CPS Energy for emergencies.
• Ongoing coordination with COSA GPA office and CPSE communication team to
develop systems and processes for joint information center.
Cost: Less than $100,000
Completion Date: 2021
November 30, 2021 Page 10

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 9 Status: Complete

Assign a team to assess, implement, and track the progress of the current
recommendations from the Emergency Preparedness Plan and update the
plan regularly.
• SAWS is tracking the progress of all recommendations from CEP, B&V report, SAWS
staff and the SAWS Board of Trustees.
• SAWS currently has contracted with consultants and meets regularly with CPSE to
update the emergency preparedness plan required by Senate Bill 3. Planning teams
(representatives from different departments) track progress and update the plans.
Cost: Between $100,000 and $1,000,000
Completion Date: 2021 with future updates
November 30, 2021 Page 11

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 10 Status: Complete

Provide updates to Council offices on a timely basis and establish a singular

SAWS point of contact to act as a council liaison during emergency
situations.
• Gavino Ramos,Vice President - Communications & External Affairs, will make
immediate contact with Council offices to open the lines of communication and
discuss how the flow of information will work for the remainder of the emergency.
Mr. Ramos, along with other members of the executive leadership team will update
Council. A communications plan has been developed with details on the
communication process.
Cost: Less than $100,000
Completion date: 2021 with future updates
November 30, 2021 Page 12

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 11 Status: Complete

Update SAWS organizational chart and place online for easy reference.
• Updated organization chart has been uploaded to SAWS website and can be easily
located on the
Organization & Leadership section under the About SAWS page.
http://www.saws.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/OrgChart_20200910.pdf
Cost: Less than $100,000
Completion Date: 2021
November 30, 2021 Page 13

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 12 Status: In Progress

Increase the number of agents available to take calls during an emergency in lieu of automated
machines. Identify critical staff to communicate with the public.
12.A Consider 3rd party live chat services that can be provided critical messaging and provide
base intake tasks for customer concerns.
• Further research into this option will be done to determine if this option is financial beneficial and efficient.
12.B Consider how 311 operators can be integrated with this solution.
• Further research into this option will be done to determine if this option is feasible due to the
knowledgebase needed for SAWS customer service.
12.C Develop a contingency plan for instances when outages disrupt local customer service.
Consider 3rd party services based outside of San Antonio being activated in case of emergency.
• SAWS has developed a plan that identifies essential call center staff during different types of emergencies.
• A third-party call center service could be very costly to have as backup. A Request for Information (RFI)
would be utilized to see what services might be available and at what cost.
Cost: TBD
Completion Date: 2022
November 30, 2021 Page 14

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 13 Status: In Progress

Create a dashboard that reflects real time outages, infrastructure failures,

water pressure issues, and areas under boil water notice with the ability to
filter by Council District.
• Information Systems and Production are developing an outage map that provides
water pressure information and areas under boil water notice. The dashboard is
dependent on the water outage map and will be developed after the map project is
completed.
Cost: Less than $100,000
Completion Date: 2022
November 30, 2021 Page 15

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 14 Status: Complete

Integrate a SAWS decision maker fully into the EOC with direct and
immediate access to SAWS Chief Operating Officer for centralized
control/decentralized execution.
• This recommendation will not be implemented as outlined. As a resolution to this
issue, SAWS will move operations to the COSA EOC during declared emergencies to
operate under Unified Command. SAWS’ COO will be the Incident Commander and
work with COSA Incident Commander to coordinate an effective response while at
the same time allowing SAWS to manage water system operations.
Cost: Less than $100,000
Completion Date: 2021
November 30, 2021 Page 16

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 15 Status: In Progress

Provide relevant emergency preparation information to community members. Assure the information is available and
accessible in an emergency (social media, billing inserts, digital bill attachment). Create an Emergency Preparedness
Community Guides, including the production of videos instructing residents on topics such as how to turn off water at the
meter and store water to flush your toilet when water is not available. (Videos should be on the SAWS website in English,
Spanish and ASL)
• SAWS has prepared an extensive communication campaign – Be Ready for the Unexpected -- that focuses on how to prepare for
emergencies that may affect water supplies. www.SAWS.org/BeReady.
• Launched the Be Ready Rebate program to help property owners check whether their pipes are tough enough for winter freezes.
Homeowners can earn a $75 rebate by consulting with a licensed plumber. https://www.gardenstylesanantonio.com/be-ready-rebate/.
• Educational Information shared with council offices.
• Incorporated leak information messaging into all year-round communication and winter preparedness info.
• Created target list of commercial building facilities and emailed them information.
• Distributed information/press release to key commercial associations and real estate groups.
• Created a New Customer Welcome Packet with additional info related to their water and private system.
• Placed stories on GardenStyle, Waternews and bill messaging.
• Posted information on SAWS social media.
• Paid efforts to include:Targeted ads on FB & IG, Google and Twitter ads, ads in local magazines, tv spots, bus shelters & billboards
Cost: Between $100,000 and $1,000,000
Completion Date: 2021
November 30, 2021 Page 17

SAWS RECOMMENDATION 16 Status: Complete

SAWS and CPS Energy should meet to discuss CPS Energy’s compliance
with Chapter 25 Subsection C (Infrastructure and Reliability) of the Public
Utility Commission’s Electric Substantive Rules and discuss the role of SAWS
in respect to these compliance measures.
• SAWS has worked with CPS for inclusion of SAWS as a Critical Load Public Safety
Customer on the CPSE registry within its emergency plan.
Cost: Less than $100,00
Completion Date: 2021
 SAWS Progress
Community Emergency Preparedness
Committee Report
Steven Clouse
Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer

Municipal Utilities Committee

November 30, 2021
WINTER PREPAREDNESS PROGRESS
REPORT
PRESENTED BY:
Paul Barham
Chief Grid Optimization & Resiliency Officer (CGORO)
November 30, 2021
Informational Update
OBJECTIVES & TAKEAWAYS

• PROVIDE STATUS OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO (CoSA)

COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS (CEP)
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

2
AGENDA

• CEP RECOMMENDATION STATUS OVERVIEW

• CEP RECOMMENDATION STATUS UPDATE

• CEP RECOMMENDATION PARTNER STATUS UPDATE

• NEXT STEPS

3
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
STATUS OVERVIEW
CEP RECOMMENDATION CEP RECOMMENDATION Customer
ACTION PLAN STATUS CATEGORIES Communication
3 4 Emergency/Contingency
11%
16% Preparedness
Under Review
Grid Operations &
Support
5%
In Progress Market Redesign
12
8% 30%
Approved Outage Management

18 Plant Operations
14%
Submitted to MUC & Support

16% Stakeholder
Communication

Majority of action plans identifying our activities to resolve

recommendations are effectively complete pending
administrative closeout & submittal. 4
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
PLANT OPERATIONS & SUPPORT – 2
CEP Recommendation: Enhance current practices for purchasing and
CPS 2 transporting natural gas

CPS Priority: 1 Resolution: CPS Energy took the following actions

to resolve
Status: In Progress
1) Secured natural gas transportation contracts
Estimated Completion Date: sufficient to deliver gas for the expected usage
12/31/2021 2) Increased daily withdrawal capacity from
Estimated Cost: natural gas storage
3) Added additional natural gas storage capacity

Note: Complete, pending Administrative Closeout

5
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
PLANT OPERATIONS & SUPPORT – 4
CEP Recommendation: Support operational excellence at generation plants
CPS 4 through renewed emphasis and focus on best
practices
CPS Priority: 1 Resolution: CPS Energy is completing several operational
excellence initiatives before the upcoming winter:
Status: In Progress 1) Implement key elements of weatherization improvement
plan
Estimated Completion Date: 2) Conduct repairs for aging burner systems & upgrades to
12/31/2021 Spruce fan control system
Estimated Cost: 3) Revise 2021 - 2022 Planned Outage Schedule to
maximize CPS Energy's unit availability this winter
4) Perform a detailed inspection of all outside piping &
revised Freeze Protection Program at the South Texas
Project
Note: Complete, pending Administrative Closeout
6
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
OUTAGE MANAGEMENT– 5
CEP Recommendation: CPS Energy should review the automated rotating
CPS 5 outages process

CPS Priority: 2 Resolution:

1) Implement improvements in existing systems and
Status: Approved/Complete infrastructure to manage an ERCOT load shed event of
at least 20,000 MW for winter 2021-22
Estimated Completion Date: 2) Engaged system vendor to design, test, and implement
12/31/2021 necessary system changes in control system
Estimated Cost: $296K 3) Review and update the Load Shed operating procedures
to incorporate lessons learned from this past winter
event
4) Perform modeling and assessment of improvements
made for winter 2021-22
Note: Complete, pending Administrative Closeout
7
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
OUTAGE MANAGEMENT– 6
CEP Recommendation: Review options for mandatory load shed
CPS 6 management and coordinate with critical service
providers
CPS Priority: 2 Resolution:
1) Increase load shed capacity through re-assessment of
Status: Approved/Complete critical circuits and Under-Frequency Load Shed (UFLS)
circuits to ensure only the most critical loads are
Estimated Completion Date: prioritized for uninterrupted service
12/31/2021 2) We increased the load shed capacity to manage an
Estimated Cost: $139K event similar to February 2021 through identifying only
the most critical loads in the system
3) Criteria will be reassessed based on guidance expected
from the PUC later this year

Note: Complete, pending Administrative Closeout

8
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
GRID OPERATIONS & SUPPORT – 7
CEP Recommendation: Assist SAWS in securing redundancy for its critical
CPS 7 facilities

CPS Priority: 3 Resolution:

1)Coordinated with SAWS to identify most critical
Status: Approved/Complete
sites and performed high-level review of options
Estimated Completion Date: 2)Performing detail assessment of most critical
12/31/2021 sites to design infrastructure options for resilient
Estimated Cost: service
3)Reviewing necessary equipment & assessing
operational impacts
Note: Complete, pending Administrative Closeout

9
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
COMMUNICATIONS – 8
CEP Recommendation: Collaborate with the CoSA EOC to develop emergency communications
procedures
CPS 8 A. Simplify customer messaging with focus on safety and clear calls to action
B. Revise and enhance how conservation calls are communicated to public
C. Develop advanced notification process for mandatory load shed event;
Coordinate messaging with the Emergency Operations Center (EOC);
Provide advanced notification of mandatory load shed events where
possible; Consider informing customer if they are subject to the risk of
power loss during mandatory load shed events; Provide customer with key
information for support services

CPS Priority: 4 Resolution:

1) CPS Energy updating its Crisis Communications Plan with a public
relations agency
Status: In Progress 2) Undergoing training for Online Community Relationship management
3) Develop customer actions for various levels of conservation needs
Estimated Completion Date: 4) Proactively asking customers to update their emergency contact
12/31/2021 information
5) Coordinate with the EOC & Joint Information Center on aligned messaging
Estimated Cost: to the public
6) Include key information for support services

10
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
COMMUNICATIONS – 9
CEP Recommendation: Collaborate with the CoSA and municipal partners
CPS 9 to develop a continuous emergency preparedness
campaign
CPS Priority: 5 Resolution: CPS Energy met with CoSA and SAWS
and determined in the short term, CPS Energy will
Status: In Progress
share Ready South Texas information as part of our
Estimated Completion Date: ongoing awareness campaign.
12/31/2021
Estimated Cost:

11
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
MARKET REDESIGN – 1
CEP Recommendation: A. Support legislation development that ensures ERCOT has
CPS 1 sufficient reserve capacity from all generation sources
B. Support the state's evaluation of making an investment to
connect to grids outside of Texas
C. Suggest that the state pursue efforts to guarantee loans
to build or contract additional capacity to meet demands

CPS Priority: 6 Resolution: CPS Energy is engaging in 34 meetings

addressing 37 PUC rulemakings & ERCOT protocol revisions
Status: In Progress that address energy market redesign. We will continue to
monitor and engage until closure.
Estimated Completion Date:
12/31/2021

Estimated Cost:

12
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
MARKET REDESIGN – 3
CEP Recommendation: Support development of legislation that ensures
CPS 3 ERCOT has sufficient energy reserve capacity from
all generation sources
CPS Priority: 6 Resolution: CPS Energy is engaging in 34 meetings
addressing 37 PUC rulemakings & ERCOT protocol
Status: In Progress
revisions that address energy market redesign. We
Estimated Completion Date: will continue to monitor and engage until closure.
12/31/2021
Estimated Cost:

13
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
SAWS – 2, 3, 5, 8, 16
CEP Recommendation: Support SAWS in improving their resiliency,
SAWS 2, 3, 5, 8, & 16 emergency preparedness, communications
protocols & PUC compliance.
CPS Priority: Various Resolution:
1) Met with SAWS to identify critical sites
Status: Various 2) Continue progress on resiliency improvement plans
3) Conducted table-top exercises with focus on
Estimated Completion Date: communication & readiness
12/31/2021 4) Collaborated on joint operations including load shed
Estimated Cost: criteria
5) Maintain effort with SAWS in developing options for on-
site back-up generation

14
CoSA CEP RECOMMENDATION
EOC – 1-3, 8, 10-14, 18-20, 23-24
CEP Recommendation: Support CoSA EOC in their efforts to improve their
EOC 1-3, 8, 10-14, 18- resiliency, emergency preparedness,
20, 23-24 communications protocols & overall emergency
operations during extended duration outages.
CPS Priority: Various Resolution:
1) CoSA EOC identified preliminary list of critical facilities
Status: Various 2) Continue to inform & support resiliency improvement
plans
Estimated Completion Date: 3) Conducted table-top exercises with focus on
12/31/2021 communication & readiness
Estimated Cost: 4) Held meetings with partners to build understanding &
communication channels
5) Updated our Crisis Communication Plan to ensure
synchronous communications

15
Winter Preparations
Plant Operations & Support
• Enhanced weatherization completed Stakeholder Communications
• Third-party validation of improvements
• Increased natural gas storage ability • Ongoing collaboration with City of San Antonio, Bexar
County, SAWS & emergency operations
• Moved plant maintenance schedule ahead of winter
months
• Launched stakeholder text alerts
• Engaging in public input & feedback opportunities
Outage Management
Customer Communications
• Improved load-shed capacity with more circuits to
minimize customer impact, i.e., better rotation of
• Review & refresh communications plans
outages
• Multi-pronged approach to reach customers
• Third-party validation of improvements • Updated 100,000 customer contacts through Manage My
Account to date
• Additional use of advanced technologies
• Community town halls & utility assistance fairs
Grid Operations & Support
Policy Activity
• More collaboration with City of San Antonio, Bexar
County, SAWS & emergency managers
• Engaging with local, state & federal regulators & policy
makers
• Review of procedures completed
• Updated procedures for winter operations • Participating in regulatory proceedings
• Involved in development of ERCOT protocol revisions
Emergency Preparedness
• Ongoing participation in local, state & federal training
• Executive liaison assigned to regional Emergency
Operations Center

CPS Energy is committed to continuing overall infrastructure &

communications improvements to ensure reliability & resiliency for our
customers. 16
NEXT STEPS

• Continue status updates at monthly Municipal Utilities

Committee (MUC) meeting & to the Board of Trustees
• Detailed updates at Operations Oversight Committee (OOC)
meetings
• Finalize action plans for all recommendations
• Integrate tracking & reporting of lessons learned activities

Significant mitigation activities to address the CEP

recommendations continue & will be completed prior to the
upcoming winter season.
17
Thank You